By: Carolyn M. Hartko
The younger members of the Monroe High School winter track program finally got a day all to themselves at the Ridgewood Freshman/Novice Meet held at the 168th Street Armory in New York City Monday night. The event featured separate flights for freshmen and novice runners, throwers and jumpers, and was attended by young athletes from 74 schools in the metropolitan area.
"Our kids competed extremely well," Falcon head coach Lew Stonaker said. "They got an opportunity to compete against kids they felt a little more confident running against, instead of being stuck in the varsity competitions all the time. They rose to the occasion. It was a learning experience for them."
Stonaker took 43 entrants from the boys’ and girls’ squads with him on Monday. The Falcons earned four medals, and registered 31 personal best performances on the world-class mondo track at the Armory.
Any high school track athlete who hadn’t scored in a big varsity meet was eligible to compete as a novice. Although Stonaker took mostly freshmen and sophomores, he also included some of the Falcon upperclassmen who are new to track and field.
Sophomore Jaryd Schick, competing in the Novice flight, doubled, earning medals in both the 400 meter race (third) and the long jump (fourth). Kristi Motyka earned a bronze medal in the girls’ 3200 long distance race. The final Falcon medal went to Luke Kerstetter who placed fourth in the freshman flight of the 3200.
Among the people who didn’t medal, some of the improvements in times were pretty spectacular. For example, sophomore Joe Garavante took 38 seconds off his personal best in the mile, and classmate Jay Merrick knocked his time in the same event down by 15 seconds. Javier Ramirez also had a good time in the mile. According to Stonaker, freshman Brandon Theinert "ran a real nice race" in the 800, setting a personal record in that event.
In the girls’ competition, two freshmen stood out. Nicole Sardone had personal bests in both the 55 hurdles and the 200 dash. And Megan McCloskey broke 70 seconds in the open 400 for the first time.
"Nicole’s really come a long way in the hurdles, and she’s only a freshman," Stonaker said. "And Megan had an outstanding day. That’s a nice barrier for a freshman to break."
Junior Ashley DiCaro threw a personal best in the shot put.
Most of Monroe’s varsity track and field people have almost two weeks off from competition. But a few of the girls will be traveling to Jadwin Gym at Princeton University this coming Sunday for the NJSIAA Meet of Champions for Indoor Track and Field.
Ashley Maguire earned a berth in the 800, and the Lady Falcons also advanced in the 4×400 (Nova Roman, Maguire, Ashley Theinert and Jill Byrne). In addition, Stonaker found out this week that Roman was awarded one of six wild card slots in the 3200.
Both boys’ and girls’ teams will be back in action next Thursday when they host Carteret for a Greater Middlesex Conference Blue Division dual meet after school.
